Services and links
Featured employer
Legal
Solicitors
The majority of solicitors in Yorkshire work in private practice but there are also opportunities within commerce, industry, local government, magistrates' courts, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government Legal Service, law centres and in educational or advisory organisations.
At present in Yorkshire there are about 700 private practice firms with around 2,000 partners employing more than 4,000 licensed professionals. There are over 700 trainee solicitors in the region, the majority of which are training in private practice in cities and large towns.
The steps to qualification depend on the subject of your first degree. A graduate with a qualifying law degree has to successfully complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC), followed by a 2-year training contract. A non-law graduate has to pass the Common Professional Examination (CPE/PGDip) before undertaking the LPC and training contract.
If you wish to study in Yorkshire three institutions offer the law conversion course for non-law graduates and five offer the LPC. Details can be found on the Law Society website.
Competition for trainee solicitor posts is high and nationally there are around 1,000 more new graduates looking for positions than there are training contracts available each year. This means it's really important to gain some good work experience through a work placement or work shadowing to show you have a proven interest in working in the profession.
Job vacancies in Legal
Useful links:
Online legal resource for solicitors and barristers. Includes various searchable directories including the Top 10 legal firms.
Professional representative and regulatory body for practising solicitors in England and Wales. Site includes 'Find a Solicitor' to locate firms by set criteria including location. You can also search which events are being held in the Yorkshire region.
This is a list of the contact details for the 14 different Law Societies across the region.
The Sheffield District Incorporated Law Society
The Sheffield District Incorporated Law Society represents Solicitors practising within Sheffield, Rotherham and the immediate surrounding areas.
One of the oldest law societies in the country, Leeds Law Society provides support and advice to legal professionals working in or near Leeds. Lead stories from their monthly magazine The Leeds & Yorkshire Lawyer can be browsed on-site. They are also a supporter of the Leeds legal campaign (see below).
Based on Leeds' position as the largest legal market outside London, Leeds Legal is a partnership of top legal firms in the city working to market their services collectively and promote the high levels of service and advice provided by the city's law firms. Find out more about the Leeds law firms on their site.
Explains the work of the CPS and offers training and recruitment information. They also provide information on the CPS areas across the region.
The Law Centres Federation is the national body for a network of community based Law Centres, which provide free independent legal advice and representation to the most disadvantaged members of society. Details of the Law Centres in the region can be found on the site (North East region).
Community Legal Advice is funded by the Legal Services Commission and delivered in partnership with independent advice agencies and solicitors. They offer free, confidential and independent legal advice for residents of England and Wales.